The present invention is directed to a liquid and fuel extracting apparatus for use with a variety of tanks and temporary storage containers having improved safety features and reduced manufacturing costs.
Heretofore, a number of patents and publications have disclosed fuel pumping systems and siphons, the relevant portions of which may be briefly summarized as follows:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 503,232, 892,254, 895,694 and 4,548,088 each depicts and describes a siphon/pump system where a tank may be filled. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,088 teaches a flexible tube that extends from the receptacle to be sampled to the head of a collection jar, and a coupling mechanism 20 for removably attaching the flexible tube to the jar head.
U.S. Pat. No. 892,254 illustrates and describes a tank with a removable cover having a first opening adapted to connect to a flexible tube, and a second opening in air-tight communication with the suction chamber of a pump. A similar apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 503,232 and 895,694, both of which speak to a siphoning system that is initiated by a pump mechanism.
On the other hand, none of the various patents teach a liquid handling apparatus having a negatively pressurizing, linear displacement hand pump, or where the apparatus may be removably and sealingly attached to an opening on a wide range of tanks. Furthermore, each of the pump mechanisms disclosed are of conventional construction, and do not disclose the cost-saving features of the redesigned pump used in the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a liquid handling apparatus, comprising: a compliant base having a tapered outer diameter suitable for mating with an inner diameter of a container opening so as to form a generally airtight seal therewith, said compliant base further including a pair of through-holes; a length of tubing having a first end inserted through a first one of said through-holes in said compliant base, so as to form an air-tight connection between the tubing and the base; and a vacuum pump, said vacuum pump being releasably attachable at an upper end of a second one of said through-holes in an airtight manner, the pump being suitable for producing a negative pressure within the container the pump is operated by a user; wherein a second end of the tubing is inserted into a liquid reservoir and where operation of the pump by the user creates a negative pressure sufficient to draw the liquid from a liquid reservoir into the container.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid handling apparatus, comprising in series: a length of tubing having a first end and a second end; a compliant base having a tapered outer profile suitable for sealingly mating with a plurality of containers having different diameter openings therein, wherein the first end of the tubing is attached to a first opening in said compliant base, so as to form an air-tight connection between the first end of the tubing and the compliant base; and a vacuum operatively attached to a second opening in said compliant base in an airtight manner, the pump having a handle driving a plunger therein and being suitable for producing a vacuum within the container when the handle is operated by a user; wherein the second end of the tubing is inserted into a liquid reservoir having a liquid therein and where the vacuum draws the liquid from the liquid reservoir and into the container to initiate transfer of the liquid.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of extracting liquid from a reservoir with a liquid handling apparatus, comprising the steps of: inserting a compliant base, having a tapered outer profile and a pair of through-holes therein, into an opening of a container; inserting, into a first of said through-holes, a first end of a length of tubing so as to form an air-tight connection between the first end of the tubing and the compliant base; inserting a second end of the length of tubing into a liquid-filled reservoir so that the second end is below a surface of the liquid; attaching a vacuum pump to the second through-hole in the compliant base in an airtight manner, the pump having a handle driving a plunger therein and being suitable for producing a vacuum within the container when the compliant base is inserted in the opening of the container and the handle is operated by a user; and repeatedly operating the handle on the vacuum pump to create a vacuum in the container and draw the liquid from the liquid-filled reservoir into the container to initiate transfer of the liquid from the reservoir to the container.
One aspect of the invention deals with a basic problem of storing fuel, and in siphoning fuels and other liquids—exposure to the fuel and storage thereof. This aspect is further based on the discovery of a technique that alleviates this problem. The technique uses a portable pumping apparatus and unique base for connecting to a tube to establish the vacuum necessary to initiate pumping or siphoning from a reservoir via a vacuum pump. In a pumping mode, the amount of liquid transferred is controlled by a user operating a manual pump that negatively pressurizes the receiving tank or container. In the siphoning mode, once siphoning is initiated, pumping may be stopped and the siphoning process may be used to fill the receiving tank to a desired level. After siphoning, the receiving tank is suitable for use as a filling tank to transfer the fuel or liquid, or as a temporary storage tank as contemplated by traditional gasoline and similar containers.
The technique described above is advantageous because it is enabled by a simple, low-cost apparatus as compared to other approaches. Furthermore, The present invention is uniquely designed to be adapted to one or more of a plurality of differently sized or shaped tank openings so as to enable its use both with conventional fuel storage tanks and equipment fuel tanks. Moreover, these approaches make it unnecessary to have large gasoline or fuel storage containers in one's possession or to risk the dangers of filling and transporting such containers in personal vehicles. The apparatus described herein can be adapted to siphon and pump any of a number of liquids or fuels, including gasoline, diesel fuel, motor oil, crankcase oil, hydraulic oils and other petroleum distillates and synthetic lubricants, water, chemicals, etc. As a particular result of the invention, there is little need for the storage of large quantities of gasoline or other fuels in a residence or in portable storage containers as the amount of fuel needed at any time may be easily retrieved from a vehicle and any excess may be returned to the vehicle.
The present invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, however, it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention to the embodiment described. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.